"Years ago, a guy by the name, Philip Keller wrote an interesting commentary on Psalm, 23 I say it's interesting because Philip Keller actually was a shepherd. Now, shepherding was a common profession back in the days of David, but today it's not so commonplace and that's what makes the insights of Philip Keller so intriguing. You see what is unknown to us resonated deeply with an actual shepherd. Today we pick up our story of psalm 23 verse two, he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. Now when I first read that verse, what stuck out to me was that phrase, he makes me lie down in green pastures. Why would a shepherd have to make his sheep lie down in what they've been longing for? Well, I didn't really understand ever having to make something smaller than yourself lie down until I became apparent parents. I'm sure you can connect with me on this, that there are times, especially during the toddler years when you are forcing your child to take a nap because what they need most in that moment is rest. In the same way, there are times where shepherds forced sheep to rest because it's what they needed and what was best for them. The shepherd Philip Keller noted that there are four common conditions that keep sheep from lying down on their own first is fear. What are sheep afraid of? Well, everything again, sheep had no natural defense mechanism. And so when they were moving from one terrain to the next, they could be terrified by literally anything. And if it wasn't about an animal, maybe it was a noise or even the unknown. Now the truth is, is that we are often plagued by fear ourselves. Is there a worry that's keeping you up at night? The apostle paul wrote in his letter to timothy in second timothy chapter one verse seven, for God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power, love and self control. The good shepherd does not lead us to fear. Instead the good shepherd gives us power, gives us love and gives us self control. In short, the shepherd gives us rest, The sheep would move from one land to the next and they would be afraid of everything around them. And so the shepherd would make them lie down and help them overcome their fear and in the same way the good shepherd helps us overcome our fear with the power of the Holy Spirit. The second condition that Philip Keller pointed out that keeps sheep from lying down on their own is actually friction among the sheep. This is true that if there's friction in the flock, there's gonna be no sleep for the sheep being a youth pastor for many years, I would often go on trips and camps and retreats where large groups of students would all be sleeping in the same room and every year in the guy's cabin there was always that one kid that just had too much sugar and just couldn't go to sleep and he would be loud and make lots of noise and he would keep the rest of us up and I know for my wife and some of the other female leaders that in the girls cabin there was always one event or one drama centered around one or just a few girls that would end up keeping the entire cabin up for the night in the same way that if there is friction in your life, if there's friction in your relationships, that it's going to be difficult for you to find rest. Now the role of the good shepherd is to step in and mediate where necessary to separate those that need to be separated and to draw close that those who need to be drawn close to him. This is the role of a shepherd, that if the shepherd can ease the minds of the sheep and the shepherd can ease the friction of the sheep, then sleep and rest can be had by all. If you're experiencing friction in your relationship, I want to challenge you to do two things. First, give that relationship up to the shepherd, remember that you cannot be the holy spirit for somebody else, but what you can do is things like forgive or apologize where needed and the second thing I want to encourage you to do is to go to the person with which you have friction. Now I want you to do this within reason, if the right thing to do in that moment is have healthy boundaries or to really get away from an unhealthy situation, I want you to do that. But most times in our relationship we handle conflict by withdrawing, but what happens when we withdraw or we really confront with force is that we end up feeling this friction and this anxiety and this worry that keeps us from truly finding rest. So if you're experiencing friction in your relationships, first, give it to the shepherd and second when appropriate, go to the person and if you need to forgive, choose to forgive that person, if you need to apologize, own whatever part of the situation that you really did said or didn't do or didn't say when you should have. So the first two conditions that keep sheep from lying down on their own is fear and friction. The 3rd condition is laid out by Shepard Philip Keller is actually flies. Yeah, flies are going to be a common theme in this series and it seems like really are flies that big of a deal. Well, the truth is, is that sheep are so annoyed by flies that there have been documented cases where sheep have literally run off a cliff to avoid interacting with a group of flies or beating their head literally to death. Now that seems extreme, doesn't it? Sometimes the smallest things can have big impact in our lives. I was reminded of this fact when this summer we had a congruence of a couple of factors. First we have a newer dog in our home and sew a dog's using the backyard as a restroom, which attracts flies. Second we live in the valley of phoenix Arizona, which reaches temperatures that are insane. And so to try to beat the heat This year we purchased one of those wholesale above ground pools for our kiddos. Well when you have a lot of water that also attracts flies and at the same time we put in a few new plants in the backyard and so you had water throughout the yard, water a new pool and a dog leaving some restroom stuff in the back yard one morning, my wife and I woke up and we went into the backyard and it seemed like we were being full on attacked. There had to be over 1000 flies in a short window and they were just landing on anything and everything and we're like ha! And so we went out and bought a bunch of traps and different treatments and things to get rid of those in our backyard. Now a lot of flies can be annoying, but you know what can also be annoying. One one fly, in fact, there was a time when I was on a student trip where I was having a personal quiet time with God, I had my bible out. I was praying, I was asking for God's direction in my life. The sun was setting. I was on top of a mountain. I could see endless miles of forest and you know what I was thinking about? The one fly that kept buzzing in and around my ear. What's that? one thing that keeps you up at night, is it a sinful habit or addiction or something that you keep obsessing over? Sometimes the smallest things keep us up, just like that. Single fly distracted me from having an incredible powerful time with God. Don't let the flies distract you in this life. Instead give the situation, give the relationship and give whatever sin you're battling whatever is that issue? Whatever is that little fly or group of flies in your life, give that over to the good shepherd. The fourth condition that keeps sheep from lying down in green pastures is actually famine. Yeah. You would think how can sheep be hungry when they are surrounded by green pastures? Well, sheep need to be guided in every situation, sheep will eat anything, everything and sometimes nothing when they would go into a pasture. The good shepherd would go ahead of them and pull out the poisonous plants so that when they entered a green pasture that they would only feast on what was good for them. In the same way as that passage says that he leads me beside? Still waters. Yes, sheep could drink from running water. But being by still calm water gives you a sense of peace and comfort because sheep would drink anything that means that they would drink polluted contaminated water that would cost them their health and maybe even their life. So let me ask you, what are you consuming right now in your mind and in your heart that is costing you your spiritual, your mental and your emotional health. You see what you think about what you feed on, it's like the food and the water that you drink on a daily basis, Paul wrote in Romans chapter 12 really beginning there in verse one and two, really focusing in on verse two, he says, don't be don't be conformed to the patterns of this world any longer, but instead be transformed by the renewal of your mind. So instead of feeding on the contaminated polluted plants and and really diluted waters of this world. Instead choose to rest and eat from the green pastures and the still waters that the good shepherd has laid out and brought you to see. We don't want to lie down on our own. We don't like being told what to do and sometimes fear friction flies or famine, keep us from feasting on what God has before us. And so here's what I want you to declare today. Each week we are sharing a truth to declare and an action to apply this week's truth to declare is this rest is about proximity, not productivity. Rest is about proximity, not productivity. It's easy with an anxious heart and unsettled mind to think that we have to go. We have to go, we have to go. But what happens is we get distracted by flies or we experience friction with other sheep or we start eating things that are contaminated and not good for us. Instead we find rest when we stay close to the shepherd, when we allow the shepherd to lead us to still waters. When we allow the shepherd to make us lie down in green pastures wherever you're watching or listening to this message. Right now, I want you to pause and take a deep breath ready. Here we go, mm hmm. In the business of life, there are times where we forget to pause, but thankfully thankfully we have a good shepherd who makes us lie down in green pastures and he leads us beside still waters. As Pastor Carl lentz says, sheep don't strive, We don't have to go out and fend for ourselves. The good shepherd is right there with us. And if we understand that we are not leading the way, but we are following the good shepherd and we stay close to him. We can find rest and peace for our souls. So the truth to declare is rest is about proximity, not productivity that allow the good shepherd to make us lie down in the green pastures and the still waters and you, I promise you will find rest for your soul. And so the action to apply this week is this trust the shepherd. The key to rest is trust. I know for me just being transparent with you this productivity thing is tough because I'm driven, I don't necessarily worry a lot, but I can't turn my mind off. But years ago someone shared with me this truth that God says it's okay for us to sleep because he doesn't need it. Think about that, whether you fall asleep at like seven at night or two in the morning, guess what happens the world continues on that if we trust God with our situation, in my case, as a pastor, as I trust God with the future of our church and my family and my calling that allows me to take a deep breath to pause and ultimately find rest, choose to trust the shepherd today and he will make you lie down in green pastures, he will lead you beside still waters and when you draw close to him he will draw close to you and you can find the rest that you've been searching for. Let's pray Dear Heavenly father, thank you for making us lie down. God! Sometimes fear can keep us from resting. Sometimes we have friction with our relationships. Sometimes we are distracted by small things like flies and other times we are famished and we are hungry because we are not feasting on the nourishment that you have offered to us, in your word, help us draw close to you, help us to remember that rest is about proximity, not productivity. And help us learn to rest by trusting you the good shepherd We give this day, we give our lives and we give this rest up to you. It's in your son's name. We pray. Amen."